Compliance planning—law firms

Copyright © 2025 LexisNexis
Published by a LexisNexis Practice Compliance expert
Practice notes

Compliance planning—law firms

Copyright © 2025 LexisNexis

Published by a LexisNexis Practice Compliance expert

Practice notes
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This Practice Note considers compliance planning for law firms. It explains whether law firms should have a compliance plan and, if so, what you may wish to include. It reflects the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Standards and Regulations.

See also Precedent: Compliance plan—law firms.

Is a compliance plan compulsory?

Firms that have or wish to obtain Lexcel accreditation must have a risk management policy that includes a compliance plan.

There is, however, no direct requirement in the SRA Standards and Regulations for law firms to have a compliance plan.

This contrasts with the previous SRA regulatory regime, where the SRA clearly expected firms to have a compliance plan—the guidance notes to the Authorisation Rules 2011, stated: ‘what needs to be covered by a firm’s compliance plan will depend on factors such as the size and nature of the firm, its work and its areas of risk’. This has not been carried across to the SRA Authorisation of Firms Rules in the SRA Standards and Regulations.

It is therefore a matter for firms whether they choose to have a compliance

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The detailed provisions of a pension scheme.

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